“Doctor, is it true that all sunscreens are dangerous?”, but “is it important to protect yourself from the sun?”. For weeks, oncologists and dermatologists have been recommending not exposing your skin to the sun without protecting it with an adequate amount of cream (or similar formulations). However, there are those who think that these products should be avoided because they would deprive the body of the benefits of the sun or would even be dangerous, in particular carcinogenic. Not only that. While experts point out that ultraviolet rays are the primary cause of skin aging, some argue that it is precisely sunscreens that damage and ruin it from an aesthetic point of view. This is why the experts at ‘Doctor, but is it true that…?’, the anti-hoax website of the Federation of Medical Associations (Fnomceo), have decided to clarify by rejecting the ‘no-cream’ movement.
For these ‘anti-cream’ influencers who are popular on social media, it is fine to expose yourself to the sun even without protection, because the benefits on the immune system derived from the increased production of vitamin D would be able to neutralize any potential risk. To this thesis, however, the doctors of Fnomceo reply as follows: “It is true that the vitamin D content in the diet may be insufficient, but to benefit from that produced by our skin, the minimum exposure to the sun that we have in daily life is enough, simply by going to school or work every day. However, there is no proof that the use of sunscreens reduces the levels of vitamin D in the blood”.
Some people are not wary of sunscreens in their entirety, but recommend choosing those with ‘physical filters’, also called ‘mineral’, rather than those with ‘chemical filters’: the former, based on equally chemical substances, such as zinc oxide, constitute a barrier to the passage of UVA and UVB rays, while those defined as chemical filters are based on substances that absorb them, especially avobenzone, oxybenzone and octinoxate.
With a study in March 2020, conducted by the US Food and Drug Administration on different products in various formulations (milk, spray, cream, etc.) on the skin of about fifty volunteers – explain the anti-fake news doctors – the authors demonstrated that “the 6 chemical substances tested are absorbed into the bloodstream and in 3 weeks of application can exceed the concentration levels demonstrated as safe by the agency. Be careful, though. Beyond this threshold we have no evidence of toxicity, but only the need for further testing”. This conclusion, as the scientists themselves point out, “does not mean that people should stop using sunscreens: in the United States, approximately 5 million malignant skin tumors are diagnosed every year, including melanoma and other types of disease, 90% of which are attributable to exposure to the sun. Wild tanning therefore represents a certain risk, while the possible negative effects of creams would all need to be verified”.
Precisely the increase in the number of cases of skin cancer has pushed doctors to insist more on the use of sunscreens, Fnomceo experts point out. While cream was once recommended only during holidays at the seaside or in the mountains, today doctors suggest applying protection all year round and repeating the application during the day. In theory, this could change the safety profile of a product: safe for occasional use, less so if used in large quantities every day for years. This is also why the FDA has asked companies for further investigations, without however ceasing to recommend the use of filters to citizens.
On the need to protect oneself from ultraviolet rays, the anti-hoax doctors point out, “there is full scientific consensus. Sunscreens are used to reduce the damage of direct exposure to the sun. For greater caution towards growing organisms, the American Academy of Pediatrics for example warns against the use of oxybenzone in products for children, opts for physical filters and above all for the use of protective clothing. Up to 6 months of age, then, everyone advises against exposing children directly to the sun: only if there is no way to protect them is it better to apply cream to exposed parts”. For adults, however, “in addition to shade and protective clothing (including hats and sunglasses), the American Academy of Dermatology always recommends the use of sunscreens on exposed parts, not only at the beach or in the mountains, but also during other outdoor activities”.
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